Coconut [Cocos nucifera L.] is often called “the tree of life” because of its many uses in the food, beverage, medicinal, and cosmetic industries. Currently, more than 50% of the palms grown throughout the world are senile and need to be replanted immediately to ensure production levels meet the present and increasing demand for coconut products. Mass replanting will not be possible using traditional propagation methods from seed. Recent studies have indicated that in vitro cloning via somatic embryogenesis is the most promising alternative for the large-scale production of new coconut palms. This paper provides a review on the status and prospects for the application of somatic embryogenesis to mass clonal propagation of coconut.
Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) is one of the most important tropical palm crops worldwide, but the gap between decreasing productivity and expanding demand is growing and is now becoming a major problem. The global coconut industry is threatened not only by palm senility but by pests/pathogen attack which is becoming exacerbated by climate change. However, conventional breeding methods cannot provide sufficient new planting materials to meet the replacement of senile and damaged palms. Hence, coconut clonal propagation via somatic embryogenesis (SE) is being developed to help meet the demand of the growing market. However, with refined medium composition, improved technical skills, optimized environmental conditions, proper acclimatization steps employed and the application of a cell suspension culture step, a much higher multiplication rate can be predicted. Several factors that affect the rate of clonal propagation are being studied: 1) determination of the effect of a non-activated charcoal (AC) medium and 2) the development of culture induction medium composition with a reduced auxin concentration. Results of the study so far show that a non-activated charcoal medium with more frequent subculture (monthly) and a lower auxin concentration is an efficient alternative approach to the traditional mainstream AC-containing medium for the initiation of embryogenic callus. With a better understanding of the callus induction medium composition, and with a liquid cell suspension culture step medium to be applied in the future, should elevate the multiplication rate of clonal plantlet production.
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